Syllabus

Cambridge O Level
Computer Science 2210
Use this syllabus for exams in 2023, 2024 and 2025.
Exams are available in the June and November series.

Version 2
Please check the syllabus page at [Link]/2210
to see if this syllabus is available in your administrative zone.
Cambridge O Level Computer Science 2210 syllabus for 2023, 2024 and 2025. Syllabus overview

Content overview
Candidates study the following topics:

Computer systems
1 Data representation
2 Data transmission
3 Hardware
4 Software
5 The internet and its uses
6 Automated and emerging technologies

Algorithms, programming and logic

7 Algorithm design and problem-solving
8 Programming
9 Databases
10 Boolean logic

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 Cambridge O Level Computer Science 2210 syllabus for 2023, 2024 and 2025. Syllabus overview

Assessment overview
All candidates take two components. Candidates will be eligible for grades A* to E.

All candidates take: and:

Paper 1 1 hour 45 minutes Paper 2 1 hours 45 minutes

Computer Systems 50% Algorithms, Programming and Logic 50%
75 marks 75 marks
Short-answer and structured questions Short-answer and structured questions and a
Questions will be based on Topics 1–6 of the scenario-based question
subject content Questions will be based on Topics 7–10 of the
All questions are compulsory subject content
No calculators are permitted All questions are compulsory
Externally assessed No calculators are permitted
Externally assessed

Information on availability is in the Before you start section.

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 Cambridge O Level Computer Science 2210 syllabus for 2023, 2024 and 2025.

3 Subject content

This syllabus gives you the flexibility to design a course that will interest, challenge and engage your learners.
Where appropriate you are responsible for selecting resources and examples to support your learners’ study. These
should be appropriate for the learners’ age, cultural background and learning context as well as complying with
your school policies and local legal requirements.

Computer Science is a practical subject and a range of practical exercises must be integral to the teaching of this
qualification. It is important that learners develop their computational thinking skills by doing practical problem-
solving and programming using appropriate resources. It is also expected that learners have the opportunity in class
to write their own programs, as well as executing (running), testing and debugging them.

Any equipment and facilities should be adequate for learners to be able to satisfy the requirements of the syllabus.
The hardware facilities needed will depend on the number of learners but must be sufficient for all learners to have
enough time to practise their programming skills. Learners also need to have access to a system with direct-access
file capability on backing store and hardcopy facilities.

Computer systems
1 Data representation
1.1 Number systems

Candidates should be able to: Notes and guidance

1 Understand how and why computers use binary • Any form of data needs to be converted to binary
to represent all forms of data to be processed by a computer
• Data is processed using logic gates and stored in
registers
2 (a) Understand the denary, binary and • Denary is a base 10 system
hexadecimal number systems • Binary is a base 2 system
• Hexadecimal is a base 16 system
(b) Convert between • Values used will be integers only
(i) positive denary and positive binary • Conversions in both directions, e.g. denary to
(ii) positive denary and positive hexadecimal binary or binary to denary
(iii) positive hexadecimal and positive binary • Maximum binary number length of 16-bit
3 Understand how and why hexadecimal is used as • Areas within computer science that hexadecimal
a beneficial method of data representation is used should be identified
• Hexadecimal is easier for humans to understand
than binary, as it is a shorter representation of
the binary
4 (a) Add two positive 8-bit binary integers
(b) Understand the concept of overflow and why • An overflow error will occur if the value is greater
it occurs in binary addition than 255 in an 8-bit register
• A computer or a device has a predefined limit
that it can represent or store, for example 16-bit
• An overflow error occurs when a value outside
this limit should be returned

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Cambridge O Level Computer Science 2210 syllabus for 2023, 2024 and 2025. Subject content

1.1 Number systems continued

Candidates should be able to: Notes and guidance

5 Perform a logical binary shift on a positive 8-bit • Perform logical left shifts
binary integer and understand the effect this has • Perform logical right shifts
on the positive binary integer
• Perform multiple shifts
• Bits shifted from the end of the register are lost
and zeros are shifted in at the opposite end of the
register
• The positive binary integer is multiplied or
divided according to the shift performed
• The most significant bit(s) or least significant
bit(s) are lost
6 Use two’s complement to represent positive and • Convert a positive binary or denary integer to a
negative 8-bit binary integers two’s complement 8-bit integer and vice versa
• Convert a negative binary or denary integer to a
two’s complement 8-bit integer and vice versa

1.2 Text, sound and images

Candidates should be able to: Notes and guidance

1 Understand how and why a computer represents • Text is converted to binary to be processed by a
text and the use of character sets, including computer
American standard code for information • Unicode allows for a greater range of characters
interchange (ASCII) and Unicode and symbols than ASCII, including different
languages and emojis
• Unicode requires more bits per character than
ASCII
2 Understand how and why a computer represents • A sound wave is sampled for sound to be
sound, including the effects of the sample rate converted to binary, which is processed by a
and sample resolution computer
• The sample rate is the number of samples taken
in a second
• The sample resolution is the number of bits per
sample
• The accuracy of the recording and the file size
increases as the sample rate and resolution
increase

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 Cambridge O Level Computer Science 2210 syllabus for 2023, 2024 and 2025. Subject content

1.2 Text, sound and images continued

Candidates should be able to: Notes and guidance

3 Understand how and why a computer represents • An image is a series of pixels that are converted
an image, including the effects of the resolution to binary, which is processed by a computer
and colour depth • The resolution is the number of pixels in the
image
• The colour depth is the number of bits used to
represent each colour
• The file size and quality of the image increases as
the resolution and colour depth increase

1.3 Data storage and compression

Candidates should be able to: Notes and guidance

1 Understand how data storage is measured • Including:
– bit
– nibble
– byte
– kibibyte (KiB)
– mebibyte (MiB)
– gibibyte (GiB)
– tebibyte (TiB)
– pebibyte (PiB)
– exbibyte (EiB)
• The amount of the previous denomination
present in the data storage size, e.g.:
– 8 bits in a byte
– 1024 mebibytes in a gibibyte
2 Calculate the file size of an image file and a • Answers must be given in the units specified
sound file, using information given in the question. Calculations must use the
measurement of 1024 and not 1000
• Information given may include:
– image resolution and colour depth
– sound sample rate, resolution and length of
3 Understand the purpose of and need for data track
compression • Compression exists to reduce the size of the file
• The impact of this is, e.g.:
– less bandwidth required
– less storage space required
– shorter transmission time

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Cambridge O Level Computer Science 2210 syllabus for 2023, 2024 and 2025. Subject content

1.3 Data storage and compression continued

Candidates should be able to: Notes and guidance

4 Understand how files are compressed using lossy • Lossless compression reduces the file size
and lossless compression methods without permanent loss of data, e.g. run length
encoding (RLE)
• Lossy compression reduces the file size by
permanently removing data, e.g. reducing
resolution or colour depth, reducing sample rate
or resolution

2 Data transmission
2.1 Types and methods of data transmission

Candidates should be able to: Notes and guidance

1 (a) Understand that data is broken down into
packets to be transmitted
(b) Describe the structure of a packet • A packet of data contains a
– packet header
– payload
– trailer
• The packet header includes the:
– destination address
– packet number
– originator’s address
(c) Describe the process of packet switching • Data is broken down into packets
• Each packet could take a different route
• A router controls the route a packet takes
• Packets may arrive out of order
• Once the last packet has arrived, packets are
reordered
2 (a) Describe how data is transmitted from one • Including:
device to another using different methods of – serial
data transmission
– parallel
– simplex
– half-duplex
– full-duplex
(b) Explain the suitability of each method of data • Including the advantages and disadvantages of
transmission, for a given scenario each method
3 Understand the universal serial bus (USB) • Including the benefits and drawbacks of the
interface and explain how it is used to transmit interface
data

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 Cambridge O Level Computer Science 2210 syllabus for 2023, 2024 and 2025. Subject content

2.2 Methods of error detection

Candidates should be able to: Notes and guidance

1 Understand the need to check for errors after • Errors can occur during data transmission due to
data transmission and how these errors can occur interference, e.g. data loss, data gain and data
change
2 Describe the processes involved in each of the • Including parity byte and parity block check
following error detection methods for detecting
errors in data after transmission: parity check
(odd and even), checksum and echo check
3 Describe how a check digit is used to detect
errors in data entry and identify examples of
when a check digit is used, including international
standard book numbers (ISBN) and bar codes
4 Describe how an automatic repeat query (ARQ) • Including the use of:
can be used to establish that data is received – positive/negative acknowledgements
without error
– timeout

2.3 Encryption

Candidates should be able to: Notes and guidance

1 Understand the need for and purpose of
encryption when transmitting data
2 Understand how data is encrypted using • Asymmetric encryption includes the use of public
symmetric and asymmetric encryption and private keys

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Cambridge O Level Computer Science 2210 syllabus for 2023, 2024 and 2025. Subject content

3 Hardware
3.1 Computer architecture

Candidates should be able to: Notes and guidance

1 (a) Understand the role of the central processing • The CPU processes instructions and data that are
unit (CPU) in a computer input into the computer so that the result can be
output
(b) Understand what is meant by a • A microprocessor is a type of integrated circuit
microprocessor on a single chip
2 (a) Understand the purpose of the components • Including:
in a CPU, in a computer that has a – units: arithmetic logic unit (ALU) and control
Von Neumann architecture unit (CU)
– registers: program counter (PC), memory
address register (MAR), memory data register
(MDR), current instruction register (CIR) and
accumulator (ACC)
– buses: address bus, data bus and control bus
(b) Describe the process of the • How instructions and data are fetched from
fetch–decode–execute (FDE) cycle including random access memory (RAM) into the CPU,
the role of each component in the process how they are processed using each component
and how they are then executed
• Storing data and addresses into specific registers
• Using buses to transmit data, addresses and
signals
• Using units to fetch, decode and execute data
and instructions
3 Understand what is meant by a core, cache and • The number of cores, size of the cache and speed
clock in a CPU and explain how they can affect of the clock can affect the performance of a CPU
the performance of a CPU
4 Understand the purpose and use of an instruction • An instruction set is a list of all the commands
set for a CPU that can be processed by a CPU and the
commands are machine code
5 Describe the purpose and characteristics of an • An embedded system is used to perform a
embedded system and identify devices in which dedicated function, e.g. domestic appliances,
they are commonly used cars, security systems, lighting systems or
vending machines. This is different to a general
purpose computer that is used to perform many
different functions, e.g. a personal computer (PC)
or a laptop

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